Red and Gold
by DarkPhoenix713
Summary: Harry and Ginny's marriage didn't work out, but they were blessed with three wonderful children. However, when Ginny brings a new man home, something awful happens. Suddenly, Tony is having to deal with a hysterical British kid, Harry is trying to track down his son, and Loki is plotting to steal the Tesseract. Harry Potter just can't escape being a hero. AU, Possible Slash. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Hello! I hate myself - I sit down to write a new chapter of my already existing fics, then get distracted by a new idea - IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TYPING. Then I have to cut it out and open a new document until I get it out of my system. It's not at all good for my existing fics, but it does allow me to get the creativity flowing.

THIS is an idea I got after watching Avengers, and having people complain about my other fics not having matching timelines. I'm going with the Avengers taking place in 2012? And then I did some VERY COMPLICATED MATHEMATICS to figure out around what age Harry's kids would be, judging from the epilogue. It's basically canon through all the books, but the epilogue doesn't happen. I'm not sure on the details in those '19 years' so I kind of made them up.

Disclaimers: I own neither Harry Potter, or the Avengers. Or any Marvel creations. Or Rowling creations.

Warnings: This has potential slash in it, not sure yet if that's where I want to go. It's not Ginny bashing - sometimes marriages just don't work out, and people can be mature about it. There might be some swearing. F*** if I know.

Anywhooo, please enjoy the product of my procrastination!

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**Chapter 1/Prologue/Intro/Setting Thing**

Magic had always surrounded the life of one Harry Potter. During his childhood, and into his late teens, he had lived a cursed life. Literally – that megalomaniac snake-faced bastard had blasted an Avada Kedavra straight to his face when he was only a year old. It had only gotten worse from there. He was cursed with horrible relatives, fickle schoolmates, bad press, and an onerous prophesy. It was all very exhausting.

However, after the second Voldemort War, the Wizarding World claimed that Harry Potter lived a charmed life. He married his (second) school sweetheart, Ginny Weasley, and entered the Auror program with his best friend, one of his wife's brothers, Ronald. The papers loved him, his new family loved him, and he was close with all of his friends. He had inherited an unspecified but much-speculated-upon amount of money from his parents and posthumously innocent godfather, and was apparently set for life.

Harry had gone through it all with a smile, grateful to have finally achieved a semblance of normalcy. So when Ginny and Molly had dropped enough hints about weddings, Harry had proposed. When Ron and Kingsley came to him with their eyes lit up, talking about Dark Wizards and the catching thereof, Harry singed an employment contract. When reporters asked after him without malicious intent, Harry inwardly sighed, but smiled for the camera.

While Harry was undergoing rigorous Auror training, Ginny tried out and made Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. Harry was bursting with pride for her and attended every game. Her brothers teased her good-naturedly, while Mrs. Weasley tsked about 'proper jobs for witches' and dropped copious hints about settling down and making grandbabies.

Harry lived in a flat in London for the first few years, while Ginny lived with her parents. The Weasleys all stayed close after the war, trying to help each other through Fred's death. George took it the hardest, naturally, so Harry tried to make time to help him with his shop, as did Ron. Hermione even helped him research a few things, which caused everyone to look at her askance, before George finally burst out in slightly hysterical laughter.

The family that seemed to be built around the Weasleys flourished after the war. Harry and Hermione were naturally adopted into their ranks, but others could be found at Mrs. Weasley's dinner table at any given time. Luna Lovegood often drifted in at odd hours, looking very windswept and dreamy as usual. She was rebuilding her house only a few hills away, and contributed to the dinner table with pots of foul-smelling soup and dubious vegetables. Dean Thomas would occasionally help Luna with her rebuilding, and he invariably dragged along Seamus Finnegan, who in turn sometimes brought Lavender Brown. This made for slightly stilted conversation when Ron, Hermione, and Lavender were in the same area, but they all soon got over that. The old Gryffindor Quidditch team would come by for dinner and the incidental after-dinner Quidditch Match. Oliver and Percy were had a peculiar friendship that could only be developed between two very different people sharing a dormitory for seven years. Katie, Alicia and Angelina all came to life up George's spirits, and it may be said that Angelina, in particular succeeded. Neville Longbottom came, also, when he wasn't helping Professor Sprout with the rebuilding of Hogwarts grounds and his continuing study of Herbology. Sometimes he brought along Hannah Abbot, who was also helping with the reconstruction, and they both endured good-natured ribbing from the Weasley clan.

Indeed, the Burrow became a sort of informal house of healing for many of the War-stricken families, all drawn by the loving, warm atmosphere the house exuded. One of Harry's favourite people that visited was Andromeda Tonks, because she always brought his small Godson, Teddy with her.

At the end of the war, Harry had offered to raise Teddy, but Andromeda and Molly had unanimously teamed up and told him he was too young. Mrs. Tonks didn't want to part so soon with the last remnant of her daughter, and they assured him that he could be as large a part of Teddy's life as he liked, which placated Harry enormously.

After a few years during which Harry and Ginny were unendingly engaged, Harry finally picked up on the increasingly blatant hints and had Ginny set a date. Ginny went into raptures over the wedding, while Harry smiled and cuddled Teddy and worked on Auror case files and paid the bills. He got his brothers-to-be and old dorm mates together to remodel Grimmauld Place, and managed to turn it into something that a normal person would love to live in. Harry felt quite accomplished after that.

He and Ginny had a lovely wedding, organized by Mrs. Weasley and paid for by Harry. Harry passed through it in a relieved daze, still not quite believing that he was free of Voldemort, free to love and be loved. He and Ginny enjoyed their honeymoon, and before he knew it, Ginny was announcing at the Weasley Sunday dinner that she was pregnant. Harry was thrilled. He was finally starting to create the family he had longed for as a child. Internally, while being terrified of being a father at such a young age, Harry resolved to be the best father he could be. He wanted to be there for his child; while he had always thanked his parents for their sacrifice to keep him alive, he would hate to deprive his child of their father the way he had been deprived of his.

This had Harry seriously reconsidering his career choice. It had been his dream when he was a teenager to pursue being an Auror. However, this had been when Voldemort and his followers would stop at nothing to take his life. The majority of the Death Eaters had been caught, and Aurors were mainly working covert missions to track down the remaining supporters of the late Tom Riddle. With all the media attention Harry was getting, covert operations were very impractical, and there was always the chance that a raid could go wrong, and he could lose his life. Although technically he was the Master of Death, he was sure that it didn't grant him immortality; his survival had been based on the exchange of soul and blood between him and Lord Voldemort. So he could still die, and leave his child without a father, a thought that tore at his heart.

He explained this to Kingsley, and handed in his resignation. Kingsley seemed disappointed, but understood, and was more than happy to point out areas of the Ministry in which Harry would be more than welcome. Apparently, every department wanted him, from Foreign Affairs to Magical Games and Sports. Even the Department of Mysteries had outlined an offer for internship, and Harry had been tempted, before deciding that proximity to the Veil and Time Magic would not be beneficial to his mental state. And although he loved Quidditch, he privately thought it would be petty to make a career of it. No, he still wanted to _help_ people – he just wanted to do it in a minimal-risk environment.

He discussed it with Ginny, and while she didn't fully understand that he _didn't_ want to be an Auror, she accepted that he wanted to love and be there for their child, and supported his decision. Ginny was glowing with the idea of her child; she had seen how Harry was with Teddy, and wanted to give him a child of his own. The pregnancy made it impossible for her to play Quidditch safely, but she was welcome to attend games, and soon developed an even keener eye for the sport. Luna, who had assisted her father in re-starting the Quibbler, idly suggested that she contribute sports blurbs, which Xenophilius may or may not print, depending on how many breaking stories on Crumple-Horned Snorkacks he had managed to find. Ginny had been bored with pregnancy – her mother had taken to locking her away in the Burrow, teaching her to knit proper Weasley jumpers, as well as baby items that Ginny secretly cooed over. So it was that Ginny welcomed the part-time work, and her articles were so well received that she was soon being asked for as a freelance sports writer for any number of Wizarding publications. Harry was enormously proud of her, and asked that she not strain herself. She had quite the account built up from her years of professional playing; that coupled with Harry's inheritance, Auror paycheck, and 'Voldemort bounty', the Potters weren't all that concerned with finances.

Harry decided that above all, he wanted to help people that may have been in his situation. While he wasn't as passionate about causes as Hermione, he wanted to make sure that magical children never went without, as he did. Admittedly, a lot of the neglect was due to a certain Albus Dumbledore, but Harry believed that he could assist muggle-born wizards, as well as magical orphans. Hermione helped him fast-track through his muggle A-levels and he crammed his way through a social working degree at a London College. He didn't _want_ to cheat, but magic made things that much faster, so he may have waved his wand to gain a few qualifications.

Surprisingly enough, the muggle Prime Minister supported his ideas for muggle-born children, and Harry gained a liason job with Social Services in the muggle world. The job wasn't financially lucrative, but it was immensely rewarding in other ways. Harry managed to get most of the hard work out of the way in the nine months that Ginny was pregnant, so that when his child was due he was able to sit back and help his wife. Not that there was much to do, what with the help her mother and sisters in law were providing.

In 2005, James Sirius Potter was born, and joined the steadily growing ranks of Weasley grandchildren. Molly was ecstatic, and Harry walked about in a happy daze. Indeed, he ended up staying home almost as much as Ginny to help with the new baby. Six-year-old Teddy was fascinated with 'Jamie', as everyone had nicknamed the baby, and was a proud older brother. Ginny had looked confused for a moment, but Harry insisted that that was the relationship he wanted between the boys, and she sighed and nodded. Harry knew that Ginny had never been quite comfortable with Teddy's role in his life; Hermione had explained to him that Ginny felt vaguely threatened. Other than the occasional odd look, however, she was wonderful with Harry's Godson, so no arguments arose.

It was a hectic few months with the new baby, and they wouldn't have gotten through it without Mrs. Weasley's help. They tried as hard as they could to keep 'The Saviour's Son' out of the papers, but they had to pose for the odd family shot every now and then. Ginny got a surprise after James was a few months old; she and Harry had been 'celebrating' James starting to sleep through the nights, and the result of that was another pregnancy. Harry was, again, happy beyond belief, even though Ginny viewed her condition with some trepidation. She told Harry she wasn't sure she could give attention to both boys, and Harry was getting quite involved with his social work and charities. Indeed, he had been dragged into a lot of muggle events, and was able to help many children and peace-keeping organizations based out of Britain. He calmly reassured his wife that he would always have time for his children, and that his family came first. He insisted that they see this as a blessing, and when Ginny looked into his pleading green eyes, eyes that had lost his own family at such a young age, she couldn't help but agree.

So it was that in 2006, Albus Severus Potter was born, and had his name promptly shortened to 'Al'. Ron claimed that it was the kindest thing to do with a name like that, and though Harry tried to defend his reasoning, he always laughed and agreed. Ginny grumbled teasingly about not getting to pick out a name, but all of her brothers pointedly reminded her of one Pigwidgeon, and Harry had looked so horrified that everyone had burst out laughing.

Harry and Al were especially close, and Teddy loved Al just as much as Jamie. Jamie had dark red curls and Ginny's brown eyes, but Al was all Harry. Sometimes Teddy changed his hair and eyes to match Harry and Al, and the red-headed Weasleys would snatch Jamie away to save him from the 'black-haired, green-eyed demons'. This resulted in a lot of giggling toddlers, and laughing adults, and Ginny looking oddly tight around the eyes as she looked at the three boys.

When Al was one, Ginny and Harry started talking about Ginny going back to Chasing. Harry supported it, and offered to adjust his work hours so that he could take care of the kids. Molly was always willing to babysit, so Ginny tentatively contacted her old coach. Before a contract could be signed, however, Ginny discovered that she was pregnant again. She came to Harry in tears, and he comforted her and tried to get her excited about another baby, and promised that this was the _last one_. Ginny loved her children, but she wanted to get back to the career she loved before she was too old.

The other Weasleys were very excited about Ginny's pregnancy. Hermione, with a one-year-old Rose on her hip, announced that she and Ginny were again expecting together. Molly got out her knitting again, in raptures over the amount of grandchildren she was accumulating.

Lily Luna Potter was born in 2008. This time, Ginny was the one who decided the name. She had been cornered by her sisters-in-law, however, to make sure that she wouldn't choose something like Euginia or Ursula. Ginny ended up deciding to honour Harry's mother, and their good friend Luna. Hermione supported this fully, claiming to have been teased mercilessly over her name when she was a child. Ginny, who still refused to respond to 'Ginevra', solemnly agreed.

Harry was in awe of his daughter. He thought she was the most perfect, beautiful girl in the world, and would often just watch her sleeping. Ginny laughed teasingly at him, calling him a weirdo, and he would smile and nod and go back to gazing at his daughter. There was a change in Harry's and Ginny's relationship, he noticed. He threw himself into his work and his children, and Ginny threw herself into Quidditch, attending games and training to get into shape for the next season. She had banned Harry from having sex with her; contraceptive charms didn't seem to work all the time, as Albus and Lily had shown. She wanted to focus on rebuilding her career and Harry respected that. He was mildly concerned that he didn't even really miss his sex life with his wife, but eventually shrugged his shoulders and worked harder with his charities and orphanages. He had created a network of muggle-born support, employing squibs in centres where confused parents may take their magical child. He and Hermione had worked to have the laws allow disclosure to muggle parents that came looking for answers. When some pure bloods wailed about the statute of secrecy, Harry argued that early knowledge was better than the child growing up thinking it was abnormal.

Things continued in this way for many years, so that Harry never really noticed how distant he and Ginny had gotten. They both doted on their children, and they did many things as a family, but they never really did anything as a couple any longer. Harry was only vaguely aware of this, because Ron and Hermione would often drop Rose and Hugo off at Grimmauld so they could go on a date night. So it was that the Potters went on in a mildly abstracted manner, with the Potter children and Teddy going along alternately to Harry's work with children, and Ginny's Quidditch games. Ginny travelled a lot for her games, but Harry tried to bring the kids once a month or so during the season.

During December of 2011, Harry started noticing odd behaviour from his wife. She fidgeted, and would tear up at odd times, and go a brilliant red at others. Christmas at Grimmauld (the Burrow was simply too small for the Weasley family, so everyone stayed in the old townhouse) was somehow tense, with Hermione giving Ginny piercing looks, and Ginny looking at her children opening presents with a fixed smile on her face.

On New Years Eve, Ginny sent the children to a cousin's New Years party, and asked Harry for a quiet evening in. He agreed, with some trepidation. They had an awkward dinner, and then they sat in the living room, and Ginny grasped Harry's hand, tears in her eyes.

Harry listened in shock as Ginny claimed that she wanted a divorce. She had fallen in love with another man, and nothing had happened, but she couldn't stay married to Harry while she was feeling these things. Harry nodded numbly as Ginny cried and apologized, and promised not to make this hard for the children, before he got her to stop. He quietly asked if she needed anything, and she shook her head, guilt swimming in her eyes. She told him that she had enough from playing Quidditch, and Luna had a job lined up for her for when she retired. She would pack her things within the next few days, and contact a solicitor. Harry walked her to the door, and after an awkward silence, she gently kissed him goodbye and walked out.

Harry sat alone that New Years, welcoming in 2012 with a gin and tonic and a dazed expression. He wandered the house, looking at pictures of his family, seeing the smiling faces of his children, and felt a resolve harden in him. When he thought about it, he and Ginny hadn't really been _married_ for quite a few years – the only thing they had in common anymore was Jamie, Al, and Lily. Harry smiled at the thought of his children – at least Ginny wasn't being vindictive about this. He would respect her decision and do the same. It was then that he realized that this was probably the best decision for any of them. He was honestly alright with Ginny leaving him, which indicated that he wasn't really in love with her anyway. Ginny deserved someone who loved her. He just hoped that the Weasleys wouldn't hate him.

Harry and Ginny called a Weasley adults meeting and explained their mutual separation. Mrs. Weasley cried, and Ron and Percy were very angry with Harry before Ginny intervened and explained that it was all her fault. They all assured Harry that he was still a part of the family, and he should definitely still come to all family events. Ginny nodded tearfully, and Harry was grateful.

Hermione, who had ended up in magical law, managed to get Harry and Ginny Potter divorced with a minimal amount of fuss. Of course, the press had a field day with the news, and both Harry and Ginny had to sit down with their children and explain that even though Mummy and Daddy weren't living together anymore, they still loved Jamie and Al and Lily very much.

Ginny moved her things out into a magical duplex in London, with two guest rooms for the children. She and Harry had agreed on split custody for the kids; all in all, it was a very civil divorce, with each side wanting it to work as painlessly as possible.

With all the legalities out of the way, Ginny finally felt free to pursue her love interest, and Harry threw himself into his work as a distraction from the press. He only took time off to spend with his children and Teddy, who had started Hogwarts already, but always came home for Easter break. Things began to settle down for the Potter family, as Winter turned to Spring, and the children adjusted to the change. Jamie, at 6 and a three-quarters, acted out a bit more that usual, but Hermione assured Harry and Ginny (separately) that this was perfectly normal behaviour in a divorce situation. It was also normal for Lily to bit a bit more clingy to both parents. Al's behaviour didn't change all that much, but he did grow closer to Lily; he was much more patient with her needy ways than James was.

As Summer approached, things had developed some semblance of normalcy. A normalcy that was soon to be disrupted when Ginny brought her new lover to meet her children for the first time. Due to that seemingly innocent incident, the lives of the Potters would be thrown into turmoil, into a new world rampant with Superheroes, rogue Gods, and irritating billionaires. But such was the enchanted life of one Harry Potter, Chosen One and Saviour Extraordinaire.

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AN: Sooooo thoughts? Don't worry, dialogue to follow in later chapters, this is just 'setting the scene', as it were. Rest assured that the characters will act more like characters in the future, I just wanted to get to the REAL story as quickly as possible, and dialogue, while awesome, slows me down and is a bitch to write.

So yeah, Harry and Ginny get divorced. It happens, deal with it. Although I've never been a fan of Harry and Ginny as a couple, I don't really agree with turning her into a vindictive bitch. Mutual divorces ARE possible, and I guess Harry and Ginny would work out some child support and custody agreement, but that's a hassle to write out so whatever. Sadly, the people that died in canon are still dead. I haven't changed that. And yes, the Avengers, particularly Tony, will be making an appearance very soon. And no, none of the Avengers are Ginny's mysterious love interest.

If you have any questions or comments, please post them in a review, I really appreciate input! And people who read my other fics, I AM working on the next chapters for all of them, but I'm moving to Thailand in literally a week to teach English, so life is pretty hectic right now. Thanks for being patient! Love you all!

:D


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! wow, I totally wasn't expecting such a rapid response to this fic! Thanks so much! Just for all the positive attention, I'm giving you another chapter, much earlier than I usually do! Feel lucky. This probably won't happen often haha. It's a bit shorter than I usually like a chapter to be, but trust me, once you get to the main event, you'll thank me for not dragging it out. I just wanted to get this scene over with. More in A/N.

Just a few things I wanted to clarify from before - Only Teddy is currently in Hogwarts, James is turning 7 this year, and Al is turning 6, and Lily is turning 4. Or they are those ages already. I wasn't sure which month I wanted them in, so I just avoided it. Avoidance is awesome.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter or the Avengers.

Warnings: If you don't like kids getting hurt, maybe this chapter isn't for you. Dark wizard alert, with a bit of cruciatus curse. I'll stop it as soon as I can, but it's kind of necessary for the story. Sorry!

Also, this is mainly from Al's POV, but the entire fic will be switching POVs quite a lot, so if you're not into a childish narration, bear with me through this chapter. It's not permanent!

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**Actual Chapter 1**

Al Potter sighed as his mummy flitted about the small kitchen. She was getting her special dinner ready for the special person she wanted him and Jamie and Lily to meet, and she was pretty distracted. This meant that she would snap at Jamie when he started poking at things, and that _Al_ was the one who had to make sure Lily wasn't getting too bored. He pouted a bit; he love his mummy, but he would rather be with daddy at Grimmauld place. That was _home_ and he didn't get why mummy couldn't just live there with them, even if she and daddy weren't married anymore. There were loads of rooms – it could be like when his aunties and uncles visited! But no – when he had suggested this, mummy had laughed and said that it wouldn't work and now Al and Jamie and Lily got _two_ rooms to decorate however they wanted. Except Al had to share with Jamie at mummy's new house.

The doorbell rang, and mummy's head snapped up. Her face was flushed, and she started patting her hair frantically. Al frowned – mummy _never _acted like that. Jamie shot up yelled at the top of his voice, "I've got the door! I've got it mummy!"

"Oh, Jamie, wait a bit -" Mummy said a bad word and tore after Jamie, managing to reach the front door just as Jamie was opening it. Then mummy's voice changed from her 'scolding Jamie voice' to her 'sunshine and sugar voice'. The Potter children didn't hear it often, but when they did, they knew that mummy wanted everyone to be extra good. She used that voice when she was talking to reporters, or interviewing important Quidditch players.

"Stephen!" mummy trilled out, "thank you so much for coming! Oh, wine – how lovely, you really didn't have to." Al heard a deep voice murmur something back, before Jamie's voice cut in.

"Mister! Who are you?" Jamie shouted. Al made a face. Jamie was always shouting. He only had one volume, daddy sometimes said.

"Stephen, why don't you step through to the kitchen?" mummy asked sweetly. Al tightened his hold on Lily's hand while he snickered. If mummy was sending the guest away from Jamie, that meant Jamie was in trouble!

A man stepped into the kitchen, and his gaze swept over Al and Lily, who were seated at the kitchen counter. Al's vivid green eyes took in the man's appearance, while Lily clutched at Al's sleeve. The man was a little bit taller than daddy, and he wasn't as skinny as daddy, either. He wasn't as tall as Uncle Ron, though – more like a less muscley Uncle Charlie. He had light brown eyes that weren't nearly as warm as mummy's or Aunt Hermione's. No, this man's eyes looked like dirt. Or mud. Al didn't really like the man's eyes. He also had light brown hair, and dressed in brown clothes. It was kind of boring. Based on his first impression (which was all that really mattered to an almost-six-year-old), Mr. Brown was really boring.

Mummy bustled into the room with Jamie trailing after her obediently. She smoothed down the fancy clothes she had been cooking in (which was weird, because mummy _never_ wore clothes that she didn't want to get dirty for cooking), and smiled a _really_ big smile at the man. He gave a tiny smile back. It wasn't a very good smile – Al supposed that his mouth was too thin for a really big, toothy Weasley smile. He and his cousins all had _that_ grin down and mastered – it was really good for getting out of trouble, or getting a cookie from Gran!

"Kids," mummy said, placing her hand on the man's arm, and pushing Jamie towards his siblings, "this is my very good friend Stephen Cornfoot. Stephen, you've already met my eldest, Jamie, but this is my other son, Al, and Lily, my youngest."

Again, those brown eyes scanned Al and Lily, and Mr. Brown, or Stephen as mummy had called him, said in a deep voice, "Charming children, Ginevra. Lily looks just as beautiful as her mother." Mummy blushed, and laughed lightly, while Al frowned. Mummy never let _anyone _call her 'Ginevra' – last time Uncle George had tried mummy made bats fly out of his nose. And while Stephen was _talking_ about Lily, he seemed to be staring at Al. Which was weird. He shifted uncomfortably.

What followed was a ridiculous parody of a family dinner; Mr. Brown sat where daddy normally sat, and he asked polite questions of Al and his siblings, and smiled at mummy a lot. Mummy was smiling back, and Jamie was answering enthusiastically at the top of his voice, and Lily would sometimes nod or shake her head shyly. Al just ate with his head down. He saw Mr. Brown pour mummy a glass of wine, which she never normally drank. She sipped at it though, smiling over the dark red liquid at Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown also had a glass of the wine, but he wasn't really drinking it. The light glinted off the liquid, turning it the colour of blood and Al shivered. Daddy didn't drink wine. He didn't really drink any of the funny smelling stuff adults liked to drink, other than something clear-ish that he added fizzy water to.

Jamie was still chattering, but no one was paying attention to him. Mr. Brown was staring at mummy, who was ... falling asleep! Why would she fall asleep? Grown-ups went to bed _late_! Al started to get a funny feeling in his tummy, and he looked nervously at his food. Mummy was a really good cook – not as good as Gran, but there was no reason he should be feeling so icky.

Just as mummy's head started to droop, Mr. Brown stood suddenly, causing Lily to jump a little bit in her chair, and Jamie to stop talking. He knelt by mummy's chair, and softly brushed her forehead, and asked softly, "Ginevra, are you not feeling well?"

Mummy shook her head, as if she was trying to clear it, and said "M'fine, wine's just a bit stronger than I thought." She made a sound kind of like a bird, before slumping even further in her seat.

Mr. Brown's arms worked around her shoulders, and he softly said, "Perhaps you should have a short lie down, love. I'll read the kids a story, and you'll feel better in no time." Mummy looked like she was gonna shake her head again, before she leaned into Mr. Brown's arm.

"Jus a few minutes..." she trailed off as her head fell onto Mr. Brown – or _Stephen's_ shoulder. The man turned to the children that were looking at him with wide eyes, and said in a teasing voice,

"Your mummy must have worked so hard on this dinner! Why don't we let her sleep for a while?"

Jamie nodded slowly, and Al and Lily took their cue from him. Al was still feeling weird though, and his tummy was twisting in knots as the man carried mummy out of the room.

There was a silence that not even Jamie tried to fill, before mummy's friend came back into the room. When he did, his wand was out, and there was a _really_ weird smile on his face. It wasn't a happy smile, and it made Al go cold all over.

"So," Mr. Brown said, his dirty brown eyes gazing at the Potter children, "Harry Potter's beloved children. I thought this had all been a waste of time when sweet Ginevra didn't enact the shattering betrayal I had planned, but I suppose he loves his children more than he ever did his wife. I suppose this was a fortuitous change of plans." He flicked his wand, and Al was suddenly suspended in the air. Lily screamed, and ran around the table to Jamie, who hugged her without complaint, brown eyes wide and staring. Al couldn't move, and his attention was focused solely on Stephen Cornfoot.

"Mister – Mister C-cornfoot? What are you doing?" Al stuttered. The man disregarded the question, saying,

"You look so much like him. So like your father. I wonder how the Wizarding World would react when they see that their Saviour cannot even save their son?" He started to grin, but it wasn't a very nice grin. It was a very scary grin and it made Al cold all over.

"Leave Al alone!" Jamie suddenly shouted. Al glanced over, and saw his big brother standing in front of Lily, fiercely scowling at the scary man. He and Lily were knocked back towards the fireplace by a wave of the man's wand.

"I'll deal with you in a moment, brat," Mr. Brown hissed. "For now, why don't we give Potter Junior a nice scar to match his daddy's?" With a sudden cutting movement, Al's forehead burst into pain, and his vision was obscured by red. He screamed, and he wasn't the only one – Jamie and Lily were screaming and crying as well. Mr. Brown chuckled, and terror streaked through the pain Al was feeling.

"Finally, after all these years, I will repay Potter for what he did to our Lord," the man snarled, his face a mask of fury. Al suddenly dropped from where he had been hovering as the man started laughing in an out-of-control manner. Al turned to where Jamie and Lily were huddling by the fireplace, eyes wide and horrified. Wiping the blood from his eyes, Al glanced at Mr. Brown before hissing at Jamie,

"Get daddy! Take Lily and get daddy!" he begged. Jamie seemed to stare at Al's forehead before nodding in determination, clutching Lily closer to him and slowly reaching for the Floo powder. Satisfied that Jamie and Lily were leaving, Al looked for a way to distract the laughing man. He rolled to face him, and yelled out,

"My daddy's gonna save us! Daddy killed the really bad and ugly wizard, and he'll find you and get you, too!" Al didn't really know what he was shouting, he just wanted the brown man's full attention.

The man had stopped laughing and was glaring at Al, who scuttled away, genuinely afraid, but also trying to divert his gaze from the fireplace.

"Your precious _daddy_ may have killed the Dark Lord, and he may very well kill me, but not before I destroy his world. One look at your mangled body, and Harry Potter will be broken. All because he couldn't save you!" Mr. Brown had started out almost hissing at Al, but his voice steadily rose until he was screaming, almost spitting at the little boy. Suddenly, there was a flash of green, and a voice shrieked, "Grimmauld Place!" and Al turned and saw Jamie and Lily spinning away into the fireplace.

Stephen Cornfoot then said some _very_ bad words, and ran his hands through his dull brown hair before turning once more to Al. Quietly, he said, "well, he'll be here soon. I suppose I had better get this started. I'll finish up that little cut later, but for now... _Crucio_!"

Al's body was on fire. He was on fire and he was icy cold and he was being stretched and crushed and sliced all at once. He was sure he was screaming enough to shred his throat open, but he barely felt that compared to the pain coursing through his whole body. There was an awful pressure building inside him, and all he could think was, _'make it stop! Make it stop! I need to get away, away – FAR AWAY!'_

The pressure inside Al snapped at that last, barely coherent thought, and he felt himself being compressed, as though through a hollow tube. He then felt himself falling, and heard a splash, before his lungs were filled with salty water and he couldn't breathe. He thrashed, terrified, flailing and drowning, and he started to lose consciousness.

Thus it was that Al didn't notice a red and gold robot dive into the ocean to scoop him up. Nor was he aware of said robot flying him off to a tall tower, where it turned into a man and started yelling at the empty room.

And because Al disappeared from his mummy's house, he didn't know that his accidental apparition had unleashed a force that blasted Stephen Cornfoot into the wall, knocking him out. Nor did he see his daddy, Harry Potter, come bursting through the door, wand blazing, curses on his lips and he prepared to face the dark wizard. And Albus Potter didn't see his father, the Chosen One and Saviour of the Wizarding World, Vanquisher of the Dark Lord Voldemort, stare in horrified disbelief at the room that was empty of anything other than Stephen Cornfoot. Al definitely didn't see his father collapse over his bloodstains on the floor, to be fussed over by a large amount of red-heads that poured into the small house just minutes after his father arrived. Al was blissfully unconscious, untouchable in a place where it didn't hurt, and he was sure it was safe.

No, Albus Severus Potter was unaware of all of this; unaware of a certain Anthony Edward Stark who was freaking out form having to deal with a child that had just _appeared_ in the middle of the ocean. A child who was bleeding and shaking as though in a great deal of pain. He was unaware of a certain Harry James Potter, back in London, who would wallow in despair for a time until a furious resolve would form within him. He was unaware of a certain Ginevra Molly Weasley, who upon waking would be consumed with a crushing sense of guilt and grief. He was also unaware of a demigod named Loki, who was even now plotting to open the gate between realms in order to steal the Tesseract. Al Potter was only vaguely aware that he was fare away from the man who had hurt him, and that was enough, for now.

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AN: See why I didn't want to drag it out? I just wanted to get Al out of there! I don't really like writing torture scenes - and I hate the idea of kids getting hurt, but Al needed the incentive to apparate somewhere so far away. The entire dinner with Stephen Cornfoot had me squirming almost as much as Al. The reason I chose Stephen, and not a Slytherin (I think he was Ravenclaw?) as the evil Dark Wizard, was because I needed someone who flew under the radar in the aftermath of the second Voldemort War, so to speak. Not sure if you picked up on it, but Stephen basically seduced Ginny in an attempt to destroy Harry's life, not counting on the fact that the couple weren't really in love anymore and willing to be mature adults about a divorce. When he was denied robbing Harry of his fortune and his wife, he set his sights on robbing him of his children. And no, not in a pedophile way, just in a hostage situation, break-your-heart-with-helplessness way. Still not that nice, but yeah.

Anyway, I'll try to update ASAP, there shouldn't be too much more child torture. I'm so not into writing that. Just a bunch of Harry being a badass, and Tony figuring out how to deal with kids that pop out of nowhere. Aided heavily by a sarcastic AI system and Pepper.

Please review! Let me know what you think of the chapter - I understand if you hate me for what I did to Al. Sorry. Props to good older brother James, though!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! Here is my Tony-finds-Al chapter.

I know some of you might think that it's a bit implausible that Al would apparate to where Tony is... but, well.. Sucks to your Asthmar! It's my story, I do what I want. This is all for the sake of story progression, and setting up what I want to happen. So if I twist around fictional rules, don't get mad at me!

Also, please don't get mad at me for the slow updates! I love you all, and I crave your reviews, but work and moving and stuff have kept me very busy! I have the next few chapters sketched in, so just be patient!

Disclaimers: I don't own any of the mentioned characters, bands, or movies. None.

Warnings: Tony being Tony (or at least, as Tony as I can write him, with an imagined soft-spot for kids) and... hypothetical situations? I dunno. Not much to warn about.

Enjoy reading! And please review! Or think about reviewing! Or don't review... But I love reviewers more!

Already working on the next chapter, thanks for your support!

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Chapter 3

The ocean glittered in the night, dark waves sporadically reflecting the silver moonlight as Tony flew through the sky. There was no greater rush, he thought, than soaring through the night, all alone with his thoughts (and Jarvis. And whoever he was calling, if he had gotten Jarvis to connect a call.)

It wasn't often he was able to feel so alone, so not pressured. Now that everyone knew he was Iron Man, he got even less personal time than before. Well, he could always shut himself up in his lab, but Pepper always knew where to find him, there. And he couldn't always be around Pepper anymore. They had worked together for so many years, and had such an involved work dynamic that adding a romantic relationship was really throwing things for a twist. He wasn't sure how to balance this new Pepper – she was involved in his company, his private and public life, and most recently, the building of his awesome new tower. Before, when they had a confrontation, she'd get mad, he'd avoid things and that would be the end of it. Now though, any disagreement had an effect on their personal time together – she'd be snippy with him over a ditched work obligation, and he'd be frustrated with her nagging. He didn't know why he expected her to nag _less_ now that they were dating, but it always caught him off guard.

Tony groaned as he swooped over the waves. This is why he didn't to relationships. They ruined everything. Just as he was falling into a dark mood, he heard a large splash and his monitors focused in on the water below him. He frowned, looking at the concentric rings cutting up the reflected moonlight.

"Jarvis, run some scans. What was that?" He asked the AI. The view screen of the suit changed, with sensors tracking the motions of the waves, and many different images appearing in front of him. What caught his attention was the thermal scan; beneath the surface, there appeared to be a small body, thrashing in a manner that seemed to indicate drowning. Without a second thought, Tony adjusted so that he could dive and save the person. After all, he was a hero. It's kind of what he did.

Tony's world shifted to a hazy darkness as he plunged into the water. The heat sensors quickly targeted the body, and he reached out to grasp it in his arms. As soon as it was secure, he powered out of the water, making his way straight for the almost-completed Stark Tower. He glanced down at the burden he carried, and was shocked; it was a child. Quite a young child, looking no older than about five or six. It was gasping and shivering and its dark hair was plastered to its head, concealing the eyes. Tony wanted to brush the hair away, sooth the child (and where did _that_ come from? He hated kids!) but something told him doing that with a metal gauntlet on wouldn't be the best idea.

He finally touched down at his tower, and was privately grateful for the fact that Pepper was out. She would probably insist on taking the kid to a hospital – like Tony couldn't manage to help one little child out! But there was something weird about the kid, and he wasn't willing to let it go to a hospital just yet. Where had it come from? There had been nothing in the vicinity for the child to fall from, but he had distinctly heard a splash. Something strange was going on, and Tony wanted to find out what. And help the kid, of course.

He divested himself of the suit, managing to juggle the child in his arms, and toted it to a lab that was more medically inclined than his other ones. He finally managed to get the annoying hair out of the kids eyes, and decided that it was a boy. A slightly _pretty_ boy, but the features, even at this age, were masculine and angular. The eyes were closed now, but Tony could tell that when they were open they would be very large, and framed with thick, dark eyelashes that matched the boy's black hair. The boy was coughing weakly and shaking, so Tony, at a loss, addressed JARVIS.

"Is the kid Ok? What is First Aid procedure for a child drowning?" He inquired, slightly worried. Ok, a _lot_ worried, but he didn't let it show. Much. If he was a bit paler than normal, only JARVIS could see, in any case.

The AI's crisp voice sounded in the lab, "You should do compressions on the chest in the rhythm of a regular heartbeat. Press more gently than you would with an adult, sir."

Tony did so, feeling a bit silly, and wondering how this was helping. But JARVIS said he should, and that probably meant that it would save the kid's life. He had made the decision to bring the kid here, and he was going to have to... make sure that a child didn't die on his watch.

When Tony was _really_ starting to get worried, the brat finally gave a huge shudder and started coughing violently, water spewing out of his mouth. Tony patted him on the back awkwardly, and the boy flinched, his eyes snapping wide open. Very _green_ eyes, Tony couldn't help but notice, and they were filled with fear, for whatever reason. Probably the almost drowning. As he gazed at the child, the green eyes darted around the lab, and confusion filled them. Then, to his horror, a drizzle of red crept from under his hair and carved a jagged line around his eyes and nose. Not quite sure how to address this new development, Tony could only stand there while the child started to speak.

"D-daddy?" the boy said in a soft, quavery British accent, "where's daddy? I wanted to g-get to _daddy_!" he wailed, and started sobbing, the tears leaking out of his huge green eyes, and his sodden frame shaking with the force of his weeping. Tony was way out of his depth. He should have just taken the kid to a hospital.

"Hey, there, buddy," he started awkwardly, "it's alright..." he reached forward to pat the boy on the back, or something, but he flinched away violently. Tony was shocked. What had happened to this kid? He was actually looking at Tony as if he was a monster or something! In the back of his head, the vain part of Tony was a bit indignant that he didn't recognize the guy behind the Iron Man, but he brushed that aside. Slowly, he raised his hands in the universal gesture of non-aggression.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, bud, my name is Tony. Can you tell me your name? Where are you from?" Tony asked hesitantly. He needed answers from the kid, but he didn't want to set him off into more crying. The kid was gulping on air and sniffling, and he wiped his nose on his sleeve to stop its dribbling. Unfortunately, this smeared blood across his face, which made for a very gory sight.

"I – I was at mummy's house!" the boy gasped out, "but then she got sleepy and her friend turned into a bad man and Jamie took Lily to get daddy a-and he h-hurt m-me!" he started sobbing again, shaking in terror, and Tony's shrapnel-endangered heart went out to the kid. He was obviously terrified, and if Tony was hearing this right, had been hurt by his mom's guest. Easily, as if he picked up children every day, he scooped the boy onto his lap and tried to comfort him. The kid stiffened at first, but when Tony picked up a damp cloth and started cleaning his face with gentle strokes, he relaxed into the embrace. Tony picked up one of the blankets that Pepper said 'softened the room' and wrapped it about the kid. He didn't care how 'soft' the room was; 'warm' was what he was going for with a blanket, and preferably, it would warm a person instead of just a room.

Finally the little boy calmed down and Tony felt he could continue with his investigation. As it were.

"Bud, I didn't get you name. Could you tell me, and then we can look for your daddy, alright?" Tony said coaxingly. The boy sat up in his lap and rubbed his palms into his eyes. He sniffed and replied.

"I'm Al, Mr. Tony," he said in a voice that only quavered very slightly.

"Al, huh? Like Alvin the Chipmunk?" Tony asked, remembering the show from when he was younger. He was pretty sure they had made a weird CGI movie of the old show, but the kid should get the reference, and maybe _relax_ a little! But the boy only looked at Tony as if he were an idiot, and sat up a bit straighter.

"No, Mr. Tony, my name is Albus. I'm Albus Severus Potter," the owner of the name said quite solemnly, holding his hand out for Tony to shake. Which the billionaire did bemusedly.

_Poor kid_, Tony thought, _what kind of parent saddles a child with a name like that? Yikes!_

He didn't comment, however and replied with equal solemnity, "Well, Albus – er – Severus Potter, my name is Anthony Edward Stark. But if I can call you Al, I'd like for you to call me Tony, sound good?"

Al nodded shyly, and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't think he'd have been able to say the full name with a straight face.

"So," he went on, "where're you from, chipmunk? We'll try to find your daddy really soon, but I need to know where you live, and what his name is."

Al eyed Tony with what seemed like suspicion before replying slowly, "daddy's name is Harry James Potter." He then paused, and looked confused when Tony only waited for him to continue, humming encouragingly. A bit non-plussed, Al continued, "daddy lives at n -" here his face screwed up and he seemed to choke on his words a bit. Tony, concerned that the kid was choking on his own tongue after being rescued from drowning, started to panic before Al managed to clear his throat. "Um, daddy said I can't say our house, but we live in London."

Tony's brain almost shut down.

"London ... as in, England?" he asked. Just to be sure. The kid could be from Ontario. Or confused. Or not from half-way around the world. But Al was nodding and Tony groaned. "Fine, fine. Jarvis, run a search for a Harry James Potter residing in London, please."

"Right away, sir. Might I suggest a change of clothes and a meal for the child?" the AI seemed to be channeling its nagging in Al's direction. Hopefully it would be distracted from Tony, now.

"Who was that?" Al chirped, looking around curiously. His forehead had started bleeding again, which made for a very macabre sight. Tony rummaged in a First Aid kit for band aids while he answered,

"That's Jarvis. He's my – well, my really smart computer that does things for me. He should be ordering us some food right about now. Do you like computers?" the genius asked, trying to distract Al from what he was doing with cloths and bandages.

"Umm I dunno. Auntie Hermione told us about them once. I think daddy might have helped Grandad blow one up..." he trailed off as Tony stared at him in horror.

"He just – just blew one up? And doesn't let you play with them? Why?" Tony spluttered.

Al's eyes widened. "You can _play games_?" he squealed. "Auntie Hermione said she likes using them for work, but you can play?" Al seemed very excited by this. Tony made a mental note to introduce him to the wonders of mind-numbing internet games. His family seemed pretty weird – lack of computer savvyness, and _Aunt Hermione_? What was with these names?

Tony nodded enthusiastically, and described a few of his favourites (Robot Unicorn Attack!) before he managed to steel himself to inspect the lightly bleeding cut. He was appalled to see what seemed to be a deliberately cut, jagged 'V'. "What happened here, Chipmunk?" he asked in horror, dabbing at it with a bit of alcohol, making Al hiss and pull away. He looked down, scared again, and Tony rubbed his back. In a whisper, the little boy explained.

"The bad man wanted to make me look like daddy," Al said, his voice hitching.

"Does your dad have a 'V' cut into his head?" Tony asked, trying to subtly narrow the search parameters for Jarvis. Again, though, he got looked at as though he were a worm. A very dumb worm.

"Daddy is _Harry Potter_," Al said, brought out of his melancholy by his exasperation with Tony. "His scar is a _lightning bolt_. Dummy," he muttered.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed, finally managing to unstick a large band aid and plaster it to Al's forehead, "I happen to be a genius!" Maybe it was a bit immature to be baited by a kid, but he highly resented being called a 'dummy'. It just wasn't true. Unless you asked Pepper...

"Daddy says that Auntie Hermione is a genius," Al mused. "You're not much like her, though," he said decisively.

Tony picked up Al so that he could get him changed, and was about to expand on his being a genius, when JARVIS interrupted him.

"Sir, the only records of a Harry James Potter in England are equivalent to elementary school transcripts and enrollment. The most recent date is 1990. No other records exist, but his birth date makes him of an age to have fathered young Mr. Potter."

Tony stared in disbelief. He would have to do some serious digging, if _JARVIS_ couldn't find records of the man. He wondered what he could be involved in – and suddenly Al's appearance and injuries took a far more sinister tone. He would have to hide the kid, until he could be sure it was safe. Until he had hacked a few places (SHIELD, for starters) and managed to locate the boy's non-existent father.

He smiled in what he hoped was a reassuring manner at the still damp little boy, and said in a cheerful voice, "Well, Chipmunk, how about we get you into some dry clothes and get some food in you? Then maybe we can play some games. How does that sound?"

Al gave a tentative little nod, and asked, "But we're gonna find daddy, right?"

Tony sighed, and pasted on a smile. "Of course we are! JARVIS is working on it, and I bet your daddy is looking for you, as well. So don't worry about it!" They had made it to his room, and he started rummaging through his closet for something for the kid to wear. If they didn't find Al's father, they would have to go shopping. And Tony hated to admit it, but there were some seriously cool outfits he could think of to dress a kid in. He ended up digging past the pristine and stylish suits that Pepper kept drycleaned for him, and unearthed his stash of loungewear. This mostly consisted of band T-shirts, and sweatpants. He found what he hoped was a relatively clean AC/DC shirt that was on the smaller side, and brought it back to Al, who he had set on his bed. He got rid of the rest of the bloody clothes, and tugged the shirt over the kid's head. It was like a dress on him, and Al looked down at himself and wrinkled his nose in distaste. With his tousled black hair, and bright green eyes, he made for such an adorable sight that Tony almost wanted to coo. But he didn't, because he would lose serious man points.

"Mr. Tony, these robes are weird," Al said plaintively. Tony had gone back to his closet to pick an outfit, and decided to show solidarity in the T-shirt wearing.

"Hold up, Chipmunk. One, that isn't a robe, that's a T-shirt. And two, AC/DC isn't weird, it is one of the pioneers of heavy metal. It has revolutionized rock music, and it just goes to show how cool people with accents can be. They're from Down Under, buddy, but the original brothers were from Scotland, so that's twice the chick-magnet accent power! Be the shirt, buddy, and you'll get all the ladies fawning over you!" He ended his rant with a flourish, turning his back so that Al wouldn't see the arc reactor properly. He himself had settled for his favourite Metallica shirt, and some comfy black sweats. He looked over at Al, who was inspecting the shirt a bit more closely. Finally, he looked up and asked,

"Down under where?"

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed. "Never mind, Chipmunk, food should be here by now. Let's eat!"

Al nodded happily enough, and trailed after Tony, clutching his shirt in a small fist. JARVIS had somehow (for Tony was sure he had never programmed dietary requirements for children into him) procured a large pizza, several flavours of juice, and a selection of fruit. Tony decided that it didn't matter how the things had come to be here, they looked like they'd fill Al up, and that's what was needed.

Al was looking a bit sleepy, however, so maybe they'd have to put gaming on hold. Considering what to do, he said, "All right, change of plans. Pizza night means movie night – what do you wanna watch?"

Al blinked at him before asking tentatively, "television?" He enunciated the word so clearly, it was almost as if he were expecting Tony to correct him. Tony just grinned and said out loud,

"JARVIS, can you stream me a kid's movie for the Chipmunk here? And thanks for the food!"

"You're most welcome, sir. Would young Mr. Potter prefer the latest releases? Or perhaps something more classical?" JARVIS inquired. Al just looked at Tony trustingly, settling down on the large couch in front of the even larger TV. He had somehow found one of the blankets that Pepper had left artfully thrown over it, and was looking quite cozy. Tony considered what the kid might like. He didn't know any of the latest released kids movies (seriously, why would he need to know that? It wasn't like he frequently watched children's movies... by himself... in the dead of night... with his history disabled (Ok, that just sounded creepy. He was honestly just living the good old Disney days. Mind out of the gutter)).

"Lets go with that one with the ogre and the donkey that's actually Eddie Murphy," suggested Tony. He turned to Al, who had now stolen a piece of pizza. How did kids do that? "You wanna watch..." his eyes flicked to the TV, where the title was now showing, "Shrek? It's got ogres and dragons and, uh, animals..." he trailed off as Al's eyes widened in excitement.

"And magic?" he squealed around a mouth full of cheese pizza. "And castles and fairies and hippogriffs and, and" he trailed off as the screen showed the first pages of a story. Tony chuckled and sat back, snagging a piece of pizza for himself.

"Not sure about that last one, Chipmunk, but sure," he mumbled.

Al thoroughly enjoyed the movie, laughing and chattering as if he had seen such a thing very rarely. Which was possible, Tony mused, as his father and grandfather seemed to like blowing up electronics. Maybe they were one of those families that discouraged TV and stuff. Oops. Oh well, he saved their kid, he could let him watch TV.

As predicted, Al started to doze off two thirds of the way through the movie. It was actually rather cute; he kept arguing with the movie.

"Tony! The talking mirror isn't right! Daddy and Uncle Ron's are different!"

"Tony! Why is the donkey flying without a broom? He needs a broom!"

"Tony! What kind of dragon is that? Uncle Charlie _never_ said anything about a purple dragon!"

Tony wondered how long the questions would keep going. He was actually enjoying the movie – he got most of the references, and it was pretty funny. Al's questions were cute, but he couldn't wait for when it was time for sleep. As Rufus Wainwright started singing 'Hallelujah', Tony felt a warm weight slump against his side. He smiled down at the sleeping child, and decided to finish watching before going to bed. Just as the princess was undergoing her final transformation, he heard a sleepy mumble.

"Tony? Is that magic like daddy? Only daddy doesn't always need... a wand..." Al's soft voice trailed off, and Tony stared down at him bemusedly. He shut off the TV, and went to the room beside his own, where there was a bed ready to be used. He set Al down carefully, and padded into his own bedroom.

"JARVIS, could you monitor Al, and let me know when he wakes up? Also, keep up that search for Harry Potter, or... a British woman named Hermione." That should be good enough, he thought as he slipped into bed. Who named their child Hermione? Actually, who named their child Albus Severus? That was almost child abuse. Tony frowned at his joking thought when he remembered that Al had actually been banged up pretty good. He hoped he could track down the bastard that did it. He'd just have to find the father, then the mother, and see who the mother's 'friend' was. Iron Man wouldn't let something like that go, and Tony certainly didn't want any loose ends coming after Chipmunk. He had only known the kid a few hours, but he had grown on him.

As Tony drifted off to sleep, he thought of what he would have to do upon waking. Find the mysterious Harry Potter, keep Al entertained and hidden from not only SHIELD, but Pepper Potts as well. It was a tall order, but he could do it. He was Tony Stark, and he was awesome.

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AN: Well, thoughts? Sorry for making Tony and Pepper a not-so-much of a couple, but seriously - too involved in each others lives. Not healthy. I tried to make this as character accurate as possible, but some minor quirks have to be allowed for because of the Al situation. I hope you liked it! Next chapter will be a Harry POV, so be excited! I am. I love Harry... sans Ginny :) !Not to say I don't like Ginny! Or Pepper! I do like both of them, just ... not as they are in canon pairing. Meh.

Also, I realize that Al may have calmed down a bit fast, but... I'm saving the freak out for when he wakes up. Spoiler alert! Let's just say he's in shock right now, okay? Great. Love ya!

Reviews are loved and welcomed and brought home and fed cookies and hot chocolate. Reviewers are sent psychic waves, or... telepathic... stuff of the same!


	4. Chapter 4

Hello, sorry, don't hate me, etc.

Things have been very hectic lately, and I've barely had the chance to work on anything! I did manage to get away to a lovely town called Chiang Khan over Christmas, but I was traveling light, so no computer! Then I got back to the school and I had a lot of lesson plans that needed... planning. Add that to visa stuff... I hope you forgive my tardy writing!

This chapter is slightly shorter, but if I made it longer I would have gagged on angst. I've changed it up – this is Harry's POV. Wooooo! Yahhhhh! I hope that this chapter sates your curiosity, and answers some of the questions from last chapter.

Disclaimers: I don't own anything. Shame on you for thinking otherwise.

Warnings: Angsting Harry, some language, crying children... the works.

Please enjoy the chapter, and tell me your thoughts! MWA XOX

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Chapter 4

Harry had been sitting in his study going over finances for his charities when he heard the rush of the floo from the next room. Puzzled, he stretched before standing, and made it to the door just as he heard the thump of someone exiting the Floo Network. He only had a moment to wonder who it could be before he heard a voice shriek, "DADDY!" Snapping to action, Harry almost tore the door off its hinges in his rush to reach whichever child had called him. Making it to the living room, where their fireplace was, Harry was dismayed to see his eldest son and his daughter sprawled on the rug, crying their eyes out. His heart clenched as he hurried over and scooped them into his arms. Lily clutched at him, sobbing and Jamie's breath hitched in near hysteria.

"Jamie," Harry said worriedly, "what happened? Why aren't you with mummy? Where's Al?" Various scenarios were flashing through his mind, and he felt sick with apprehension.

"Mummy – hic – had a friend come to dinner," Jamie began, stuttering and hiccuping on his tears. Harry rubbed his back comfortingly, trying to be patient and get the information he needed. "But then mummy got sleepy, and her friend got her to lay down, and when he came back he was really mean!" Jamie exclaimed with an indignant wail.

Dread pooled in Harry's stomach, and he bit his lip, urging Jamie to continue. "Where's Al, Jamie? Why isn't he with you?" At his question, Lily let out a fresh wail and buried her head in his shirt. Jamie's eyes widened and he gasped.

"Daddy! You've gotta save him! The bad man was talking about that bad guy, and Al looking like you, and hurting you, and he cut Al! You gotta help him! I tried to get him to stop, but Al told me, he told me to take Lily and she was scared, and I -" Harry cut off his panicking son, holding both children close as green eyes blazed in fury. In a tightly controlled voice, Harry said,

"You did well, James. You're such a good brother for getting Lily out of there. Now, I'm going to call your Uncles and I'll go get Al, yeah? Please stay here and take care of Lily." Every instinct was telling Harry to _get out of there and get to Al_, but he had to make sure his other children were safe. Lily sobbed harder and shook here, head, clinging to him with all her strength. Harry gently disentangled her, standing and saying, "Lily, sweetie, I've got to go help Al. Can you be a very brave girl and stay here with Jamie?" He was already rushing to the door – he didn't want to chance the unknown man blocking the Floo from Ginny's side. Jamie hugged Lily to him, and looked steadily at Harry, tears in his eyes. It almost broke Harry's heart to leave them, but Al's need was greater at the moment, not to mention his ex-wife.

As he raced to the door so he could apparate, he quickly cast a Patronus to send a message to Ron and Hermione. A partially-formed stag appeared, and Harry said tersely, "Hermione, I need you at Grimmauld, Ron, get whoever you can and get to Ginny's. Fast as you can." With a vicious swipe of his wand, the stag glowed a bright silver before speeding off in a streak of light. Snarling, Harry disapparated.

He arrived just inside Ginny's door – he had no time to observe the niceties of Apparition, and he was keyed to the wards in any case. He rushed to the room with the fireplace, after casting a quick, assessing eye over the short hallway. It was eerily quiet, and Harry's heart clenched in fear at the possibilities. Just before crossing the threshold into the sitting room, he slowed. Wand drawn, teeth bared and already quietly hissing the first sibilant 's' of the stunning spell, Harry scanned the dimly lit room.

He gasped in relief when he saw the still form of a man collapsed against a wall. Judging by the shattered picture frame covering him, he had been thrown into it by an unexpected blast. He petrified the man, just in case he woke up. He would deal with him later; right now he had to find his son.

A quick glance around, however, did not reveal messy black hair or bright green eyes. Starting to panic once more, he looked in all the hiding places in the room, then raced through the small apartment, searching desperately for Al. He had asked Ginny if she had wanted to get a bigger apartment, and when she demurred, he had felt a bit bad. Now though, he hated it, because the small space made for almost no hiding places. Which meant that Al wasn't there. He passed through Ginny's bedroom quickly, pausing only to make sure she hadn't been poisoned. She was sleeping deeply, and the only way to rouse her would be to let her sleep the drug off.

Reluctantly, Harry returned to the sitting room to look for clues. He inspected the frozen body of the intruder. So this was the man Ginny had fallen for. Harry supposed that he was handsome, in a kind of aloof way. He looked severe, though, detached and intelligent. Harry was pretty sure he was a Ravenclaw they had gone to school with. If this evening was a culmination of his courting of Ginny ... then he had been planning to strike for a while. Presumably, the target was Harry. He felt cold; he hadn't had to deal with Dark wizards for years. Now, with one son missing and the other two children back at home in hysterics, he felt more vulnerable than he ever had. Even the hopeless months in a cramped tent, or the despair he felt walking into the forest compared to the terror that enveloped him when he thought of his children being targeted.

And this bastard had known that. A patch of colour on Ginny's creamy carpet caught his eye. He turned his glare from the unconscious man to see what was wrong.

Dread filled him once more as he saw the vivid bloom of red upon the floor.

_Al..._ He thought. Red. There was a lot of red, splayed out in a parody of a child's art project. How many times had Jamie flung paint at a piece of parchment, and shown it to him with beaming pride? How many times had he said that it was beautiful?

This wasn't beautiful. This was Al's blood. His _son's_ blood. His vision seemed to narrow in on it, and he realized he had sunk to his knees. All he could do was stare at what Al had left behind. Where was he now?

Harry barely flinched as he heard the the door open, and his best friend call out his name. There were footsteps in the hall, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron enter the room. More, footsteps, and questions buzzed around, the familiar voices washing over Harry. He tried to reassure himself; the Weasleys were here. Everything always got better when the Weasleys were around, it was almost a rule of life to Harry.

But the entire Weasley family being here wouldn't negate the fact that Al was gone. Harry felt a slow resolve harden in him. He knew what had to happen now; Al must be found. He would call in any favour he had to – and he was owed quite a few – and his child would be back, safe at Grimmauld Place with his brother and sister.

"Harry?" Ron asked. "Where's Al? And Ginny?" His voice was hushed, as if he didn't want to disturb the scene frozen in the sitting room. Harry forced his eyes to flick over to the tall red-head. He licked his lips before answering.

"Ginny's asleep in the bedroom," he started, "bastard drugged her." He nodded toward the brown-haired man. Immediately, he saw one of the Weasley brothers turn to go and see to Ginny, and he continued speaking. "Al is... he must have gotten away, he knocked out the guy. But, he's hurt. And I don't know where he could be. If it was accidental apparition..." He trailed off uncertainly.

Suddenly there was a warm grip on his shoulder, and he looked up into the compassionate eyes of Bill Weasley. "We'll get him back, Harry. He's probably gone somewhere that he feels safe. We'll round up everyone and search out some places, yeah?" Harry gave a slow nod, and Bill patted him once on the shoulder before stepping away.

Harry breathed in deeply, then forcibly turned away from the drying splatter on the carpet. He faced the rest of the Weasley brothers that had gathered, and met Ron's gaze.

"Right," he said, "lets find out who the bastard is, yeah? Auror Weasley, if you'd do the honours, please." He motioned Ron forwards. He couldn't believe he was being this flippant. However, he knew that if he didn't use this hard, sarcastic front, he would be sobbing his heart out. As much as he wanted to rip the man apart and wring his very bones for clues as to Al's whereabouts, things would get done more quickly if he let his family do what they were good at. And Ron knew crime scene procedures. Harry didn't want this to get caught up in red tape, because he'd have to make a lot of apologies later for burning it away.

Ron stepped forwards, his expression hard. He ensured that the man was still knocked out, and reached for his wand.

"_Prior Incantatem,_" he muttered, pointing his own wand at the stranger's. A shadow shot out from the tip and hovered in front of them all, bloody red and echoing with pain-filled screams.

The Cruciatus.

Rage filled Harry. He wasn't sure quite what happened after that, but he felt his magic begin to thrash and boil within him. His hair and clothes, and those of his companions, started to whip wildly in an unnatural wind. Ron took one look at Harry's face, and snapped at his brothers to grab the guy and take him him to the Auror office. He then yelled for whoever was with Ginny to take her to St. Mungo's. Harry was barely aware of the rush of people surrounding him, he was caught up in his magic, trapped in the imagined horror of his little boy, his sweet little boy with his too-large green eyes, thrashing under the Cruciatus curse. Harry had been exposed to the curse when he was almost fifteen – to know that his young son had gone through was more than Harry could process.

Suddenly, large hands were gripping his shoulders, and a familiar voice was speaking. It sounded very far away, and he shook his head slightly, trying to make out the words. He forced his eyes to focus on what was in front of him, and he saw the face of his best friend, looking almost scared, but pale and determined nevertheless. His lips were moving frantically, and Harry blinked.

_Breathe. Calm down._

Oh. _That's_ what was being said. He could do that. He really wasn't helping anything, was he? With a deep, shuddering breath, Harry reined in his magic. He heard Ron's relieved sigh, and he looked around.

The flat was a mess. Apparently his magic had ripped it apart. He looked in a kind of horrified awe at the broken ornaments and shredded furniture. He would have to pay Ginny back for that...

Ron was saying something again, and Harry looked back into his friend's white face. Everyone else was gone; evidently, Ron had told them to leave while he calmed Harry down.

"Mate?"

Harry started at the sound of his brother-in-law's voice. He sighed and nodded.

"Harry, we'll get him back. He'll be alright," Ron assured him, still looking a little wary, but Harry had collected himself. Gone was the panicked, broken man and in his place was a fierce-eyed fighter. This man blazed with a steely determination tempered by war and death and love, and Ron Weasley pitied the poor bloke who got between this man and Albus.

In a crisp voice, Harry said, "Ron, I'll need you to take care of things on the Auror end. Leave the scumbag to the department, I want you organizing the search – follow any lead on magical disturbance, ask around the Department of Mysteries, but try to keep it quiet. I don't want any more hidden Dark sympathizers going after Al."

Ron nodded, not even questioning Harry's authority, which he shouldn't have over a senior member of the Ministry's Auror Department. Technically, Harry was just a citizen, but he would always be the Chosen One.

"I'll be going back to Grimmauld to settle the other two; if you don't mind, I'd like Hermione on this as well, so I'll be dropping the kids off at the Burrow." Hermione was a force of nature when it came to finding things – and the kids would soak up the love and comfort available at the Burrow far better than the tension they would inevitably experience at home.

Ron nodded curtly.

"I'll get dad or mum over there – Ginny will be fine with just one of them, it wasn't a lethal potion. It would probably be for the best if the kids are all together anyway," he mused, "I'm pretty sure the Weasleys are all-in on the search."

Harry was moving to the door, and Ron followed him.

"What will you do after you see James and Lily?" Ron asked curiously. Harry hadn't mentioned himself joining the search, and Ron couldn't see him sitting with the kids and waiting, no matter how much they would cling to him. Harry smiled grimly.

"I've got my own contacts who can look for him. You'd be surprised at how fast searching for someone the muggle way is, if you can access the right things," he said, smiling when Ron nodded skeptically. "It's time for Harrison Black to call in a few favours."

The two best friends paused in the doorway, smiling in an eerily identical fashion. It was absolutely predatory, and a killing intent seemed to linger in the air long after they twisted away into nothingness.

000ooo000ooo

When Harry arrived back at Grimmauld, he found a frazzled Hermione trying to soothe children. Well, two of his children. She had brought Rose and Hugo with her, and the Weasley cousins were looking at Jamie and Lily in confused dismay.

Upon seeing him, Lily shrieked and flung her small body into his arms, and he hugged her tightly before opening an arm to the hovering James. He offered Hermione a tight smile, and apprised her of the situation, which she accepted with an unruffled calm that belied her determination to find his youngest son. She offered to take the kids to the Burrow, and Harry gratefully accepted. He needed to get started with his search.

Before they left, Jamie turned to his father, his eyes serious.

"You're gonna find Al, right daddy?" he asked, sounding as if it were a foregone conclusion. Lily looked up from where she was clutching a hastily-retrieved stuffed toy, her eyes shining with hope. Harry smiled at his children.

"Of course. Al will be home in no time," he promised. Jamie nodded, and Lily drew in a quavering breath before clutching Hugo's hand tightly. The children and Hermione disappeared into the Floo network.

Without hesitating, Harry walked briskly into his office and picked up a phone that had been tinkered with almost to the point of destruction by Arthur Weasley. Harry had a separate office for his work, but in a pinch this simple land line would do the job.

Harry sank into the familiar role. In the muggle world, he wasn't Harry Potter, hero of the light. Harry Potter in the muggle world was a scrawny delinquent whose records didn't go past eleven years of age. Harrison Black, on the other hand, was a well-respected, upstanding citizen, who had created opportunities the world round for the less-fortunate.

In doing so, he had made a lot of friends, and had gained many who were not friends, but indebted to him nonetheless. Normally, Harry would never dream of calling in those debts – his work was reward enough. However, Al was in trouble, and if he could be found by muggle means, then he would call in every favour owed to him. Harrison Black was known as a recluse; outside of his work, he lead a very private life, and all that was known about his children was their names. The public had fallen in love with them whenever they made an appearance, however, so there would be more than enough people searching the globe for Albus 'Black'.

Harry almost laughed at himself. He had felt so _weak _up in Ginny's apartment. It was absolutely pathetic. Never again, he promised himself. He would allow that moment of weakness, and he would move past it. He would find his son, even if he had to tear down the world, both wizard and muggle, to do so. He _would_ do this. He was Harry fucking Potter.

* * *

AN: So, that is what happened over in Britain. I hope this answers the whole "Why JARVIS couldn't find Harry" thing. My premise is that Sirius left Harry a bunch of money, but Harry had a decent amount (not a freaking fortune, and no, he's not Lord of the Universe and heir the ALL THE HOUSES EVER) from his parents. I'm going with the idea that he used Sirius' money to start up his charities, but he needed to establish himself in the muggle world first. To do that, he needed records of going to school, and credentials etc – all the things a professional philanthropist would need. The ministry still looks up to Harry a lot, and was able to create the muggle documents and background necessary. Harry figured (and so did I) that it would be easier to build an entirely new person than to back up the files on Harry Potter. In this way, he could also honour his godfather – by taking the name of Black.

WOAH LONG EXPLANATION. I might include it in later chapter for all those lazy people that just read my chapters and not my lovingly crafted author's notes. For those who did read this, you rock! For those of you who are going to review, I LOVE YOU! For those of you who aren't sure whether you want to review or not, I WILL WRITE FASTER I SWEAR ON YOUR REVIEW!

Maybe. You can't really tell if my fingers are crossed. It does mke ig very hsrd go typ though,,,

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Now, onto my other crossovers... haha


	5. Chapter 5

Hey! So, this has been a long while, huh? Life has caught up with me, it seems. Worry not, dear readers (if you're still with me!) I haven't abandoned everything. I've just had a bunch of new responsibilities and stuff piled on, along with visa stuff etc. So I've been slowly typing out bits and pieces of all my fics, but this is the first one to get a solid amount of length. FLUFF WARNING. No significant plot development, just Tony and Al bonding. I tried not to make it too meticulous (I hate it when someone goes shopping and they detail every single piece of clothing, from colour to design to friggen thread count). That being said, Al is too cute, so lots of cute details are there. I do not apologize for the cute. Unless someone spontaneously combusted into rainbows or something. My bad.

Disclaimers for all! Take all of the disclaimers!

Warnings: Some nightmare flashback stuff. Meh.

Thank You: To everyone who kept reading and reviewing and not giving up on me updating! Your pleads were heard, and every review I got guilted me into writing another paragraph or so when I had the time. Sorry if the writing is a bit disjointed, I tried to string it all together neatly, but it was difficult to get enough time for a long typing session.

Thanks for being patient, please enjoy :)

* * *

Ch 5

Pain. Pain. _Pain_.

It was all Al could feel, and he writhed in it, the ghost of red agony searing through his limbs. He saw his older brother's face, usually so cocky and taunting, twisted in fear, and his little sister with tears running down her cheeks. He saw his mummy laid out, still, on a bed, and a man with a darkly twisting sneer gazing at him, looking down his wand at him...

"_AAAAHHHHH! NOOOOO! DADDY! DADDY!_"

Tony jerked out of bed as the shrill scream filled the room. He had wanted to put Al up in a guest room (God knew he had enough of them) but Al got more clingy as he grew more tired. In the end, Tony had set the little boy up in his bed. It was a rather large bed, and the sheets were clean, so he didn't feel particularly guilty or anything. And the kid was like a little teddy bear, so it was totally cute and he had _not_ snapped a few photos with his phone. Because that would be corny, and Tony was anything but corny.

He had instructed Jarvis to wake him if Al woke up, but it seemed as if that particular directive was unnecessary. The little boy was thrashing and screaming on the bed, and as Tony rolled over, suddenly alert, a little foot (the one not twisted in the sheets) came out of nowhere and got him right in the gut. Ouch.

Quite at a loss, and slightly panicking, he reached out tentatively to shake the little boy awake.

"Al? Hey, Chipmunk, wake up," he murmured. Al let out a high keening noise, and shied away from his touch. Tears leaked out from under his dark lashes, and Tony's heart just about broke.

"Daddy," the little boy whimpered, curling in on himself, hugging himself in an attempt at comfort.

Tony wasn't sure what made him do it, but then, he wasn't sure about a lot of his actions recently. He had spent the night watching a Dreamworks movie and eating pizza, and he had worn sweatpants and a t-shirt to bed, which he hadn't done in...ever. But this little boy was so scared that it felt completely natural to scoop him up and cuddle him to his chest, sitting against the headboard.

"Shh, Chipmunk, calm down," he soothed. "You're alright, it's Tony. We'll find your daddy, just wake up, alright?"

Slowly, the little boy's quivering stopped, and he drew in a few shaky breaths. His green eyes, red and gummed together with tears, blinked blearily up at Tony. He sniffed a few times and clutched at Tony's t-shirt.

"Bad dreams, Chipmunk?" Tony asked, wondering what on earth had _happened _to the sweet little boy. Green eyes swimming with tears gazed up at him, and Al nodded shyly.

"What were they about?" Tony gently inquired.

Al's breath hitched before he started speaking.

"He – the bad man – he was hurting me," Al said, lips quivering. "Jamie and Lily were there, and they looks really scared, and the man was mean, and daddy -" here Al's voice broke a bit, "daddy couldn't find us!" He started crying softly, and Tony hugged him tighter. He supposed he should find out how Al had been hurt, but the little boy honestly didn't look up for it, and Tony didn't feel equipped to deal with it, so he figured distraction would be the best way to go.

"Well, Chipmunk, what do you say to some breakfast, then _we_ can find daddy. It'll be a big surprise!" Tony said, grinning at the kid. Al smiled back, tear tracks drying on his cheeks.

"Sir," Jarvis' disembodied voice interrupted, "if you are planning to have a meal, it is incumbent upon me to tell you that there is no food in the house."

Tony's eyes widened. "What about all that pizza?" he asked incrdulously, "and all that fruit you ordered?" Surely it wasn't all _gone_. There had been a ton of it last night!

Jarvis didn't answer right away, but when he did, he groaned, and hated himself for making such an independent AI.

"Sir, I took the liberty of researching balanced meals for children, and while fruit is recommended, pizza is not," the crisp British voice somehow managed to get a tone of rebuke into it. Tony was positive he hadn't programmed that capability in. Stupid AI systems.

Tony looked at the little boy, still in the oversized shirt from last night. He looked like a mess – his hair was all over the place, still stiff from the salt water the night were also salty tracks down his face, and the cut on his forehead wasn't bleeding, but it was still livid in the morning light. Tony supposed he might as well give the kid a bath, and then take him out for shopping and breakfast. As cute as the oversized shirt thing was, people would talk if they saw him with a kid dressed like that. Actually, people would talk if they saw him with a kid at all, so he would just have to be sneaky.

Grinning, he turned to Al.

"Well, Chipmunk, how about we get you a bath, then we'll go out for breakfast," he said enthusiastically. "We'll also get you some clothes!" he was starting to get into this. He loved shopping, and now he had an excuse to buy toys and stuff. If some of the mechanical toys ended up in his workshop... he could always say he was making stuff for the kid.

Wait. Back up. This was starting to feel like long-term planning, Tony thought, and the first priority _should_ be to find Al's dad. But... Jarvis could handle any search that Tony could think of. That he was having trouble meant that there was _something_ going on there, so the kid would probably be with Tony for a while. Clothes and toys were definitely needed – he didn't have any kid-friendly stuff in the tower.

Feeling resolved, he ushered Al into a very luxurious bathroom. He wasn't sure if kids were showering at that age, but he was a bit hesitant to place him in the large bathtub. He thought about it, then decided that whatever he had gotten up to (cough) in that tub was nullified by the highly qualified cleaning system he had set up. Well, that Pepper had made him set up. So it was Ok for a child to take a bubble bath or something.

Pressing some buttons on a control panel (why use spigots and stuff when you can just program it?), Tony started the bath. He turned to look at Al, who had followed him inside and was gazing at the sleek surfaces in wonder.

"Mr. Tony," he said, "everything's so _shiny_!" He sounded extremely puzzled at the decor, and Tony wondered what the hell kind of place he lived in, not to recognize the most modern of styles. He groaned inwardly. Al wasn't raised by those old-fashioned, snotty types, was he? If that was the case, he would have to make sure the boy developed some taste before he went back.

The bath had filled up by this time, and there were bubbles almost thick enough to walk on. Tony went over to Al, and said,

"Arm up, Chipmunk!"

Al giggled and raised his arms, which allowed Tony to tug off the AC/DC shirt.

"Alright, now into the tub," Tony said, gesturing. Al made his way to the large bathtub (it was more of a jaccuzi) and there was a hilarious moment when he couldn't quite get in. Tony was about to help him, but he didn't want to make the boy uncomfortable. He remembered some of his nannies that had been _way_ too up close and personal for his independent mind, so he wanted to let Al have his space.

Al finally managed to get into the tub with a badly suppressed squeal, and Tony grinned. He couldn't really blame the kid – baths were _awesome_. Pepper always said something about sitting in your own filth, but even she was known to indulge in a bubble bath every now and then. Tony crouched down by the edge, and asked,

"Can you wash by yourself, or do you need help?"

Al flushed a splotchy red, and spluttered, "Mr. Tony! I'm _six_! I can take a bath all by myself!" As if to prove it, he screwed up his eyes and dunked his head under the water. He came back up with his hair dripping into his eyes, and his nose dribbling. Tony fought hard not to laugh.

"Sure thing, Chipmunk," he said in a tone he hoped didn't come off as condescending. He had hated it when his nannies used that tone with him as a child. He silently provided a bottle of bodywash and shampoo, then hovered awkwardly by the sink as Al sniffed at the different gels. He kind of wanted to take a shower, but he wasn't sure if it would be alright to leave a child unattended in a bath – he thought he might have heard something like that where it ended with the kid drowning. He had already saved Al from drowning once, so he sure as Hell didn't want the effort to go to waste.

Al hummed a strange tune as he busied himself in the bath. He was a bit shy because Tony was watching, but he seemed determined to finish the bath by himself. He dumbed a large dollop of the body wash onto his head and scrubbed it in, shutting his eyes tightly. Then he reached blindly for the shampoo bottle (knocking over the body wash in the process) and squirted some into his hand. He quickly scrubbed his body, then threw himself backwards in the large tub, flailing about underwater. Tony was almost concerned, but decided not to act unless Al didn't resurface. He was too busy trying not to laugh. Thanking his exceptional genius for having surveillance even in the bathroom (this footage was priceless!), Tony smirked as Al's head popped out of the frothy water. His eyes were still tightly shut, and his small hands rubbed hair and water away from his face. As he tentatively opened his eyes, Tony grinned at him, and the little boy grinned toothily back.

"I'm done!" he chirped, and Tony widened his eyes exaggeratedly.

"Really?" he asked, "that was fast! Let's take a look." He grabbed a fluffy towel from a cleverly hidden cupboard and approached the tub. He inspected the boy's hair, and saw, to his amusement, the unmistakable shimmer of soap. He chuckled, and looked for something to help rinse it out.

"Just a sec, buddy," he said, making his way over to a certain side-table. "We've got to get that last bit of soap out, alright?" he asked the child. Al pouted a bit, but nodded.

"Don't get soap in my eyes," he commanded sternly. It was absolutely adorable, Tony gushed inwardly.

He grabbed an item from the table and went back to the tub. Dipping into the water, he got Al to lean his head back and poured a crystal tumbler-full of water onto his head. Yeah... Tony couldn't really help it that he didn't have that many vessels in his bathroom. He just hoped the glass wouldn't break.

Al scrunched up his eyes again, and Tony used one hand to keep the water from running into his face. This was pretty easy, he thought. He wondered what the big deal was with parenting skills if this was all it took.

Eventually, Tony decided that Al was as clean as a six-year-old was going to get, so he pulled him out of the tub and wrapped him in a fluffy towel that completely enveloped the boy. Tony had to admit, he loved his towels. Pepper had tried to sneak smaller, thinner ones in with the rest of his purchases before he caught it. She claimed that they were more suited to the style of his rooms, and consistent with the pristine bathroom. But Tony liked huge, fluffy towels that could double as blankets or ridiculous dresses (not that he had _ever_ had towel fashion shows in front of the bathroom mirror. Ever.), so that was what Tony got. One of the towel monsters was currently devouring Al, and he seemed to love them as much as Tony did.

Tony asked Jarvis to start playing a children's program on his bedroom screen, and turned to the little boy.

"I'm going to take a quick shower, then we'll go get breakfast, alright, Chipmunk?" he asked.

Al scrunched up his nose and tentatively rubbed his belly, but nodded, eyes flicking towards the now colourful holographic screen displaying some cruel interpretation of animals dressed in clothing. Tony escaped before he could accidentally comprehend what the show was about – children's day time television _terrified_ him.

Tony had one of the quickest, most efficient showers in his personal shower history, and was out and getting the two of them changed in no time. He knew that Al had to be starving by now, and he didn't want a grumpy displaced British child on his hands.

He dressed them similarly to yesterday, in band T-shirts. His shirt was a classic Kiss, and he had put Al into a rare Pink Floyd ensemble. The shirt actually fit Al a bit better today – Tony had wanted to give the shirt to Pepper, but she had refused to wear it because it was insultingly tight or something. Al also got a pair of shorts that were heavily belted, and appeared to be full-length pants on his little legs. Tony was distinctly reminded of Calvin from that comic strip he had read when he was a child (and now owned the complete three-volume box set of). He paled and hoped that Al wouldn't turn out like that other six-year-old...

Tony himself donned a dark pair of jeans, slipped on some casual shoes, and picked Al up. Al had come without shoes, which was something that they'd have to remedy as soon as possible. Well, as soon as they had eaten something.

000ooo000oo

Sneaking out of the new Stark Tower was surprisingly easy. For whatever reason, there wasn't a pack of reporters staking out the place, and he Jarvis didn't detect any more subtle hidden cameras. It seemed as though Pepper had really taken care of the press, this time. For now.

He didn't care though; as long as he could get out and about with a small child in tow without the _entire_ country knowing, he was happy. Tony actually felt pretty sneaky as he donned some sunglasses, styled his hair differently, and dug out a hat from who the hell knew where. Tony didn't _do_ hats, so he wasn't sure why one was even in the tower. He could understand if there were one or two in his Miami home, but the tower was _new_, so there should be no reason...

Deciding to leave his hat ponderings for Jarvis to look into when he was bored, Tony managed to find a quiet little place that served hot drinks and breakfast food. It wasn't quite a diner, and it wasn't quite a cafe – blending the two in a way that ended up looking effortless and charming. Al certainly liked it; they managed to snag the empty _couch_ in front of a bookshelf, and the kid carefully sipped his large hot chocolate, delighted that he was 'breaking the rules' by sitting away from the table. This he confided to Tony in a whisper, ignorant of the healthy dollop of whipped cream that had ended up on his nose.

Tony was amazed at how much he _liked_ being around the kid. Usually he hated kids. Even when he himself had been one, and had been forced to socialize because of business meetings and dinners, they had been annoying. Whiney and screechy and messy. He hated being introduced to business associates' families, and only stayed the minimum amount of time at any given 'family' function so as to ensure that Pepper didn't murder him with her glare. All events hosted by Stark Industries (except for pertinent charities) were child-free zones. It was an unofficial company policy.

But Al was adorable, and quirky and lovable. He had obviously been hurt, but he bounced back and was so cheerful that Tony felt a need to help him personally, instead of letting him get lost in whatever government system. He reasoned that he would probably do a better, more efficient job than anything the United States' Child Services could do.

He was also amused at how out of touch the little chipmunk was. Al was genuinely astounded by many things he had seen so far in New York, and many things that Tony took for granted seemed genuinely new to him. Tony supposed that his family must be _very_ old-fashioned and _very_ British. I mean, the kid thought it was a treat to eat pastries on a couch, for crying out loud! Tony only ate at dinner tables in restaurants and at formal banquets. He couldn't remember ever using his dining table ... for it's intended purpose. Mostly, he would scarf down a pizza in his workshop or indulge in take-out either at his bar or in front of his (extremely large, amazingly awesome) television. Or get a burger and eat it in his car. Conventional meals weren't really his thing.

So it was that he introduced Al to the delights of hot chocolate and pastries for breakfast. Al seemed to be enjoying himself, although the pastries weren't as good as his grandmum's. The woman had to be pretty amazing, because Tony was _definitely _coming back here. The pastries were to die for. But once he found Al's family, he might ask the grandmother to make him something. Just to check.

He grinned at the boy, who was carefully picking over his and Tony's plates for crumbs. The hot chocolate had disappeared completely, leaving dark brown goop at the bottom of the otherwise flawless white mug.

"Ready to go, Chipmunk?" Tony asked brightly. He grabbed a paper napkin and smushed it against Al's face, getting most of the whipped cream off.

Al wrinkled his nose, but nodded eagerly.

"Yeah!" he cheered, and hopped off the couch. He started making his way to the door, before pausing and looking back at Tony with his green eyes widened alarmingly. Tony thought that something had gone horribly wrong, until Al spoke again.

"Sorry," he said in a hushed voice, "I forgot..."

Tony was utterly confused.

"You forgot what?" he asked, trying to convey equal amounts of patience, reassurance, and bewilderment in his voice. If bewilderment won out significantly over the other two, nobody really had to know.

Al bit his lip, before smiling and lunging at Tony. Tony almost jumped back, but the kid was too quick. Before he could say anything, little arms had clamped around his waist and a small face was pressed into his stomach. Utterly shocked, Tony let his hand come up to pat the black disaster the little boy called hair. Al's face suddenly snapped back, and Tony saw the green eyes once more. The little boy smiled cheerfully, and sang out,

"Thank you for breakfast, Mr. Tony!"

Tony grinned. _That's_ what all the fuss was about? Forgetting to say _thank you_? Dear God this kid's parents were something else. Tony couldn't really remember the last time he had said thank you, sincerely or otherwise.

"No problem, chipmunk," he said, grabbing a small hand. "Now how about we go get you some clothes? Your size, this time, alright?"

"Kay!" Al chirped. He was seriously the easiest kid ever. Where was all the screaming, crying temper tantrums? Well, the screaming and crying Tony had seen... but that was trauma or something, right? Not a temper tantrum. Did kids need to go to doctors for trauma? He figured he'd let the Potters deal with that. Once he found them, that is...

0o0o0000oo0o0o0o0o

When Tony managed to get Al back to the tower, he was absolutely exhausted. Shopping for children was _such hard work_! In the first place, he hadn't even known where to find clothing for mini-humans, and Jarvis finally supplied him with the locations of a few stored in the area, he had been overwhelmed. The colours, the sizes ... the parents and children ... they were all loud and varied.

So he had to clarify something for future reference. He loved shopping for _himself_. And he would love shopping for Al as well... just perhaps _sans_ Al, next time. The kid was still adorable, but the pastry and hot chocolate had worked like crack cocaine in the small body, and it was all Tony could do not to lose the kid in the busy store. They had torn through the clothing section, both baffled by the different sizes and ultimately relying on a sales associate to determine what Al's size was. Then they had gone all out, buying pants and t-shirts, both themed and plain, for the kid. Tony also realized that the kid might not want to go commando all the time, and they had picked out some underwear with cartoons and lots of bright colours. And lots of socks. Al seemed to have a thing for weird socks.

Shoes were something else Tony had no clue how to get, but soon enough they had selected a few pairs. That done, they made their way to the toy section.

It was difficult to say who was more excited, Tony or Al, because while one was actually a child, the other had never really grown up.

They were there for a long time.

The shopping excursion had ended with both boys very hungry, and Tony carrying the majority of the bags. And there were a _lot _of bags. Al was carrying a few toys, and was wearing a new outfit (jeans and a red and yellow shirt – so what if Tony thought it was cute). He also seemed enthralled with his new 'flashing' running shoes, and Tony had been concerned that he would trip over his own feet he was staring at them so much.

They grabbed lunch at a fast-food joint when Tony had asked Al if he wanted a burger and Al had looked back in blank incomprehension. Horrified, Tony hastened to rectify this lapse in Al's upbringing. Those British parents, honestly...

Looking between the full and suddenly sleepy-looking child, and the monstrous amount of bags they had, Tony caved and called Happy. He had wanted to keep the kid a secret for a while, but he didn't _think_ Happy would tattle to Pepper. Indeed, he just raised an eyebrow at the kid before piling everything into the car.

When they got back, Tony dumped the half-awake Al onto the couch for a nap, and asked Jarvis to order in some food for the next few days. Jarvis had started playing another animated movie for Al without Tony's input (he really was scarily smart) and Al was watching contentedly, cuddling with the stuffed lion he had insisted on carrying with him since he had found it in the store. Tony had also bought him a chipmunk-looking thing, and was hoping to wean him onto it. Because of cute.

Sighing, Tony dropped onto the couch beside Al. He knew that there was a bunch of things he should be doing; he still had to get the tower running on arc-reactor energy, not to mention looking for Al's family. But Jarvis was still running the search, and would notify him if anything came up, and he could do the manual stuff for the tower this evening...

Tony sunk into a doze as a robot shoved garbage across the screen. Al was already done – his face was smushed against a pillow, and Tony giggled to himself. He didn't even notice when he dropped off, though Jarvis took care to dim the lights and lower the volume. Sir and young sir could rest for a while before anything needed to happen. Jarvis wasn't precognitive, but the next few days would undoubtedly be very busy. Jarvis usually kept an 'eye' on world happenings, but there were some things he missed.

So it wasn't entirely his fault that he was unaware that, while Tony was dragging Al around, there was an incident out in the deserts of America. A portal opened, and a god came through, and lives, souls, and technology were stolen. Jarvis had no visuals on the devastation that occurred when a top secret facility crumbled like a broken anthill.

Jarvis was, however, diligently recording Sir as he cuddled a chipmunk plushie, curled up on the couch with Al, like two somnolent cats. The footage was saved into his private server, and would be very difficult for Sir to decrypt and erase.

* * *

AN: So... how is that for a comeback? Corrections and suggestions are welcome, we'll be getting into more plot stuff in the next while. I won't give away how I'll tie it all together, but the next part will probably be Tony and Al again. I won't be doing much, if any, Loki POV. You've all seen the movie (HAVEN'T YOU?!) so it won't be a transcript of that. Skimming will be employed heavily.

I think Pepper will make an appearance, as will Coulson. Maybe. Harry will be back eventually, so no worries there.

Thanks again for waiting! If you have any suggestions for this or my other fics, I kind of need the kick in the pants to get back to those. Work is hectic, but cool. I have a break coming up and will be escaping to Chiang Mai. Watch out :D

Reviews are loved, and as mentioned, get me to write more often than not.

Thanks for reading!


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